This monograph analyses and describes successful educational actions with a specific focus on vulnerable groups (i.e. youth, migrants, cultural groups e.g. Roma, women, and people with disabilities). Concrete data that shows success in school performance in subject matters such as math or language will be provided, as well as children, teachers and families accounts of the impact of this success. Alongside, there is an analysis of the relationship between these children’s educational performance with their inclusion or exclusion from different areas of society (i.e. housing, health, employment, and social and political participation). Many studies have already diagnosed and described the causes of educational and social exclusion of these vulnerable groups. This monograph, however, provides solutions, that is, actions for success identified through the INCLUD-ED project, thus providing both, contrasted data and solid theoretical background and development. Some examples of these actions are interactive groups (or heterogeneous grouping in the classroom with reorganisation of human resources), extension of the learning time, homework clubs, tutored libraries, family and community educative participation, family education, or dialogic literary gatherings. All these actions have been defined as successful educational actions, which mean that they lead to both efficiency and equity. Finally, recommendations for policy and practice are included and discussed.

This paper examined the many facets that have made the High Point Model a successful charter school. First and foremost, addressing and improving the attitudes and perceptions students have of school will lead to improved learning. Other valuable considerations that will prepare the way for academic success and promote deeper and more meaningful learning by the students include: the need for educational change and how that change led to the charter school movement; the essential elements of a supportive environment and how that environment helps students learn; the value of a project-based approach to teaching and learning; the benefits of a non-graded format; the use of standards-based assessment; the creation of a technology rich environment and its impact on student learning and achievement; and the role of students in creating the school community and climate.

This book focuses on the effect of psychological, social and demographic variables on student achievement and summarizes the current research findings in the field. It addresses the need for inclusive and interpretive studies in the field in order to interpret student achievement literature and suggests new pathways for further studies. Appropriately, a meta-analysis approach is used by the contributors to show the big picture to the researchers by analyzing and combining the findings from different independent studies. In particular, the authors compile various studies examining the relationship between student achievement and 21 psychological, social and demographic variables separately. The philosophy behind this book is to direct future research and practices rather than addressing the limits of current studies.

A strong mathematics background is essential for job opportunities and advancement in a developing country like Malaysia. It gives students the confidence and ability to solve problems and become rational as well as critical in their thinking. However, Malaysian students’ mathematics achievement is relatively low as compared to other school subjects. This difference is more pronounced in rural schools. Previous studies have highlighted the relationship between students’ attitude and achievement in mathematics. Hence, it is important to investigate the contributing factors that affect students’ attitudes towards mathematics. This book is adapted and modified from a PhD thesis entitled: “Factors affecting students’ attitude towards mathematics in Sabah, Malaysia” of the first author. In this book, the relationships among perceived parental influences, teacher affective support, classroom instruction, gender, SES, students’ previous achievement and students’ attitude towards mathematics are portrayed using Structural Equation Modeling approach. Findings from the study can be utilised to understand the complex interplay of relationships that form students’ attitude towards mathematics, including factors that can be addressed by the classroom mathematics teacher. This book will be useful for secondary school mathematics teachers, researchers, school administrators, students, and policymakers.